Nehru Trophy Boat Race, Alappuzha
ആലപ്പുഴ പുന്നമടക്കായലിൽ നടക്കുന്ന ഏറ്റവും പ്രശസ്തമായ ജലമേളയാണ് നെഹ്റു ട്രോഫി വള്ളംകളി.
On the serene waters of Punnamada Lake in Alappuzha, tranquility gives way each year to one of Kerala’s most spectacular celebrations of sport and culture — the Nehru Trophy Boat Race (NTBR). The event transforms the lake into a grand carnival of rhythm, strength, and community. For the villages of #Kuttanad, a victory here is not just a sporting achievement — it is a matter of identity and pride, remembered and celebrated for months.
#The Snake Boats
The stars of the race are the legendary chundan vallams, or snake boats — majestic wooden vessels stretching over 100 feet, their prows rearing skyward like serpents poised to strike. Each boat carries around 100–150 oarsmen, their bodies and movements merging into one fluid rhythm. To the beat of the chenda drums and the ancient vanchipattu (boat songs), the oars flash against the waters in perfect harmony, 100–120 strokes a minute. It is not merely rowing. It is performance, prayer, and passion rolled into one — a living tradition where boatmen become dancers, athletes, and storytellers of Kerala’s backwaters. Their sight on Punnamada Lake is nothing short of awe-inspiring — Kerala’s own “Olympics on Water.”
The Nehru Connection – A Moment that Made History
The prestige of the Nehru Trophy Boat Race lies in a single, unforgettable moment in 1952. When Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru visited #Alappuzha, the people welcomed him in their own way — with a grand procession of snake boats cutting across the waters of Punnamada Lake. As the race reached its climax, Nehru, overcome with joy, did something no one expected: he stepped into the winning boat, the Nadubhagam /Chundan. With waves splashing and oars rising in unison, the Prime Minister of India became one with the boatmen of Kerala — not as a statesman, but as a participant in their joy. Deeply moved, Nehru later sent a silver trophy shaped like a snake boat, engraved with his words:
#ആലപ്പുഴ പുന്നമടക്കായലിൽ നടക്കുന്ന ഏറ്റവും പ്രശസ്തമായ ജലമേളയാണ് നെഹ്റു ട്രോഫി വള്ളംകളി. എല്ലാ വർഷവും ഓഗസ്റ്റ് വള്ളംകളി നടക്കുന്നത്. 100-ലധികം തുഴച്ചിൽക്കാർ ഒരേ താളത്തിൽ തുഴയുന്ന 'ചുണ്ടൻ വള്ളങ്ങളുടെ' (Snake Boats) മത്സരമാണ് ഇതിന്റെ പ്രധാന ആകർഷണം
----------
The Alleppey (Alappuzha) boat race, most famously known as the Nehru Trophy Boat Race, is an electrifying annual event held on Punnamada Lake in Kerala. 22 August 2026 at 02:00pm -Location: Punnamada Lake, Alappuzha. Tickets: Entry is ticketed.
